Operation Gotham

This was a British deception plan created by the London Controlling Section in an effort to conceal the weakening of the Allied strength in Italy, from which several formations were being removed to the UK for service in 'Overlord' (December 1943).

The plan was for transport vessels entering the Mediterranean Sea via the Strait of Gibraltar, on whose northern side the Germans maintained 12 watching positions, with deck cargoes of 'landing craft'. These were in fact inflatable dummies, but the plan foundered in the fact that these were too light and slab-sided to rest firmly on the ships' decks in any sort of wind, thereby revealing themselves as dummies.